How You Can Find The Best Solar Companies
You want a solar system installed in your home or for your business because of the cost savings it will produce and the reduction of your carbon footprint. The solar business is booming and there are a lot of companies out their vying for your business. So how do you know which are the best solar companies?
Well the simple answer to this is to contact several solar companies and ask them the right questions. You only want to work with the best solar companies that you can totally trust. You are going to make a large investment with your solar installation, so read every word of this article and ask the questions you will see below.
You should find that good solar panel companies will let you have a quotation prior to visiting your home. They should not ask you for any personal details such as your date of birth or your Social Security information. When you are talking with them ask them about their experience and business policies and practices through the use of these questions:
What Licenses and Insurance do they have in place?
You want to go with a solar company that has the right licenses to operate in your state and insurance policy coverage. Ask them outright for their license number and then use this afterwards to verify it with the appropriate authorities.
Find out if the company has certification by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCAP). It is a sign of a good company to have this, as it is quality assurance based and means that you can look forward to a top quality solar installation.
When it comes to the design of your solar system do they do this themselves or is it outsourced to another company? If outsourcing is used are these companies properly certified? Do experienced professionals with all of the necessary technical knowhow carry out the design?
After solar panel installation will the company ensure that a master electrician is available for the connection to the power grid?
What is the Company’s Expertise and Experience?
The first question to ask here is how long the company has been providing solar power installations. Are they a locally based company only or do they operate in several different states? How many successful solar power installations have they performed?
The best solar companies will have numerous reviews and testimonials available for you to see. These could be available on their website or on request. There should be no hesitation from the company to provide references to you. They should willingly provide telephone numbers of clients that have had successful installations performed.
Experience of working with the utility companies in your area is very important, as there will need to be a permit issued to connect your solar installation to the grid. Ask them directly about the number of permits they have managed to secure, and if they have experienced any problems in this regard.
Warranties and post Installation Problems and Repairs
A well installed solar panel system should give you maintenance free service for several years. Expect at least 25 years service from your system. But occasionally things do go wrong, so you need to know where you stand in regard to warranties and the repair or replacement procedures that the company have in place.
Ask the company who you would contact in the event of any problems with the installation. Find out what the likely response time will be for your area. If this is going to be unduly long then think twice about using this company.
The company needs to tell you exactly how many warranties come with your system. Do these warranties cover all of the system components? Are all shipping and labor costs covered by the warranties for replacement parts? Is there a warranty that covers your roof?
Things can go wrong after an installation so think about these possibilities. If you have to carry out a repair on your roof, then how do you go about getting the installed solar panels removed so that the roof repair can take place?
One of the most important guarantees concerns the power generated by the solar installation. If the solar power system doesn’t produce the promised power output then what will be the company’s response to this?
The best solar companies will have no problems with answering all of these questions fully. If there is a reluctance or hesitation from any company with these questions then just move on to the next company.
